CQ229 - 11 from Councillor Gerry Ryan
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CQ229 - 11 from Councillor Gerry Ryan CYPL Does the Cabinet Member have any plans to build a Secondary school in the North of the Borough? Reply The possible establishment of a new school in the North of the Borough was included in part of the Council’s draft secondary education strategy in October 2010. This strategy and its implications for place planning is currently being revisited by officers in the light of emerging education policy and a better understanding of the available level of capital. A paper setting out the next steps in terms of the education estates strategy will come to Cabinet in July. CQ252 - 11 from Councillor Bernadette Khan CYPL How many children were permanently excluded from each of the Croydon Secondary schools? In the last year to 31 March 2011? Is the cabinet member concerned about any school with a high exclusion rate? Reply School type School Permanent Academy Harris Academy Crystal Palace 2 Academy Harris Academy South Norwood 7 Academy Oasis Academy - Coulsdon 1 Academy The Quest Academy - Coloma Trust 12 Secondary Addington High School 5 Secondary Archbishop Tennison's CofE High School 0 Secondary Edenham High School 4 Secondary Norbury Manor Business & Enterprise College for Girls 1 Secondary Norbury Manor Primary School 0 Secondary Oasis Academy Shirley Park 1 Secondary Riddlesdown Collegiate 4 Secondary Shirley High School Performing Arts College 1 Secondary St Andrew's CofE Voluntary Aided High School 1 Secondary St Joseph's College 1 Secondary St Mary's High School 2 Secondary Thomas More Catholic School 2 Secondary Virgo Fidelis Convent Senior School 0 Secondary Westwood Girls College for Languages and Arts 1 Secondary Woodcote High School 2 Total 47 • The table shows the secondary schools that excluded pupils this last academic year (2010/11) up to the end of March 2011. This is a total of 47 permanent exclusions. • Some exclusions are contested by parents and may result in pupils being reinstated in school by the governing body. • The Coloma Trust - Quest Academy, a new Academy established in September 2010, has the highest number of permanent exclusions this year. Officers have met with the head teacher over concerns about the rate of exclusions, which accelerated in the Spring term, and a follow up visit has been agreed to identify how to support the school in reducing the exclusion rate. • Harris Academy South Norwood has had a high rate of exclusions over the last three years. A visit is scheduled to discuss concerns about the continuing trend with the head teacher. CQ253 - 11 from Councillor Carole Bonner CYPL Will the Cabinet Member please explain why schools across the Borough are being misled over changes to contract terms for non-teaching staff, arrangements for school meal contracts and changes to the amounts deducted from their funding without giving prior notification? As an example, Heads and Chairs of Governors were told that they would be able to opt out of the changes to non-teaching staff contracts but when the staff were informed of the arrangements it was clear this was not the case. Will he acknowledge that at a time of changes and cuts that our schools should be able to rely on information they have been given and have confidence that their funding is not going to be changed without prior notification? Reply The Council signed the Employment Based Cost Review (EBCR) collective agreement with the trade unions on 18 January 2011, a copy of which was sent to all Heads and Chairs of Governors on 9 February. The collective agreement applies to all non-teaching employees in community schools as they are on National Joint Council (NJC) terms and conditions. The Council has been clear with the schools affected that all of the terms and conditions included in the agreement are in affect a diminishment of those terms and conditions. The agreement to pursue a reduction in terms and conditions was agreed by Cabinet in order to minimise the impact of reductions to front line services and at the same time achieve the savings needed. Unfortunately, our schools do not have the discretion not to implement the changes as this would leave the Council vulnerable to equal pay claims. In terms of communications with schools: • Letters have been sent out on 5 separate occasions to Heads and Chairs of Governors • 6 briefing sessions have been held for Heads and Chairs of Governors • Letters have been sent to individual staff on 3 separate occasions • 12 briefing sessions have been held for non teaching school staff This process has taken several months involving difficult negotiations with trades unions and staff. The information has inevitably changed over this period as consultation has progressed and concessions have been made. For example, an exception is now being made for the way term time only calculations are undertaken for schools based staff. In response to requests from schools to have more time to manage the procurement of school meals we have given all schools in the current Croydon contract the opportunity to extend their arrangement with Eden for one further year, on similar terms to those agreed for previous years. We appreciate that in the current financial climate, schools are having to deal with a higher level of financial challenge than in recent years, although it should be noted that in this time of difficult government spending decisions schools’ budgets have been largely protected. We are seeking to provide schools with accurate information as it becomes available. We endeavour to give prior notice before processing deductions. We appreciate that it is important for schools to plan and monitor expenditure against budgets. CQ254 - 11 from Councillor Carole Bonner CYPL Will the Cabinet Member outline the plans for the Youth 'Hub' that includes Fieldway and New Addington including the precise geographic area it will cover? Will he further advise how he envisages the New Addington Youth Strategy Group forming the basis of the commissioning group for any funding bids and does he recognise that this may not be the appropriate group for this purpose. In this regard has he held discussions with the Chair of that group to explore the remit and options for the proposed expanded role it will be expected to fulfil and what if any agreements have been reached as a result of those discussions? Reply Goldcrest Youth Centre will act as the Youth Hub for the locality which includes the areas of New Addington and Fieldway. The centre is currently operating as a Youth Centre, running regular sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and is used at other times by a variety of projects. The vision for it as a new Youth Hub will see it open more often, including day times, offering a wider range of services and activities and engaging with a greater number of young people. However, whilst the Youth Hub might be a physical focus for youth support and activity in a locality, it will be far from the only location that activities will be provided. Staff based at the Youth Hub will be responsible for ensuring a diverse local youth offer is delivered across the locality. To achieve this vision we are currently undertaking a restructuring of the Croydon’s Integrated Youth Support Service workforce. Whilst this process is well under way, it will not be complete until July. Whilst this is on-going we are putting in transition arrangements that will begin to develop the Youth Hub, the local youth offer, and support young people, voluntary partners and others to get involved. The transition arrangements include – • Allocating a Connexions Personal Adviser to the locality, who will be based at Goldcrest Youth Centre, to support young people who are not in education, employment or training. • Developing an Area Youth Forum, that will also act as a Management Committee for the Youth Hub and will be involved in participatory budgeting. • Identifying satellite provision across the six strands that would meets the needs of the local youth population and can be delivered at the Youth Hub. • Working with partners to explore how they would like to be involved in the local youth offer and the youth hub. • Working with the management committee at Timebridge Youth Centre to support them over the next six months to explore opportunities for new funding streams. Whilst we are keen to get things moving as quickly as possible, we are very clear that the transition to the new arrangements needs to be as smooth as possible to ensure young people can still get the support they need and involved in activities that they want. CQ255 - 11 from Councillor George Ayres CYPL Can the Cabinet member advise the Council's current view as to the creation of a Free School in New Addington to replace the existing Community School of Addington High? Reply The replacement of Addington High School with a free school was included as part of the Council’s draft secondary education strategy in October 2010. These strategies are currently being revisited by officers in the light of emerging education policy and a better understanding of the available level of capital. A paper setting out the next steps in terms of the Education Estates Strategy will come to Cabinet in July. However, it is unlikely that the Council will, at that stage, propose to replace Addington High with a free school. CQ256 - 11 from Councillor Kathy Bee CYPL Please provide a breakdown by ward and by gender of secondary school applications showing the percentage got a place at their 1st to 6th choice of school. Reply The data requested is not readily available in the format requested.